JRS Volume #6; Issue #4

JRS/6:4/11.14.01

WELCOME to the Jack Rabbit Speaks internet newsletter for Burning Man. If you’re receiving this for the first time you’ve been added to this newsletter because you purchased a ticket to Burning Man within the past year. You’re one of several thousand new readers on a list with 29,000 other Burners and would-be Burners. This newsletter promises to bring you information related to Burning Man. If you’re not interested in URLs, political info about the event, ticket info, related regional events, stories, etc. then please exit the bus to the rear. Info for departing: bman-announce-unsubscribe(at)burningman(dot)com. Those whom are brave and intrepid and have the nerve not to send this to a filter only to be read “later” are welcome to stay.

I received an email from a participant interested in a role as a regional contact for Alaska. Until this year he’d never been to Burning Man, or to Northern Nevada:

“Seeing the playa for the first time after passing thru Gerlach, the thought passed through my mind “I can’t believe I ever left here in the first place.” Still trying to figure that one out.”

I thought some of you could relate to this spontaneous thought that bubbled up from a consciousness that could probably be considered collective!? And, I’m sure others have felt this way before!

What’s going on @ Burning Man?

Hey, every time I post a JRS I receive requests to unsubscribe. (I don’t moderate the automated requests) I usually see this as an opportunity to correspond and find out why they won’t be attending the event. Of course some just don’t want to receive the email any longer, and I’m always curious as to why. One person said she’s tired of the drivel I write in the beginning of each one. Can’t please all of the people all of the time. I do take suggestions, however. So, if there’s information you’d like me to cover in the JRS, please feel free to ask. I’ll do my best.

What’s new at Burning Man? Well, we’re doing some pretty interesting things at the moment. After the Decompression Party (10.14.01) the Senior Staff and 4 additional guests spent 2 full, long days reviewing the 2001 event. Each person presented his/her departmental accomplishments, challenges and plans for the future. The presentations and resulting discussion are the foundation from which we are building our first annual report called the After Burn Report. The idea was germinated before the retreat, and we’ve been collecting, collating, and editing the staff submissions for the past 2 weeks. The Thanksgiving holiday will slow this process down slightly, but you should see this web-based-only information resource before the 11st of December.

There will be a piece about finances. Don’t expect a balance sheet, but a graph and outline will augment the 50 pages of departmental reports and give the Burning Man community a much clearer idea of how complex the project of building Black Rock City and a worldwide community can be.

The Project (as the Burning Man organization refers to itself) will not be hosting a Town Meeting in December as we have the past 3 years. The intent of the Town Meeting has always been to put our faces before the participants, dispense information, answer questions and connect. The cost and effort of finding a suitable venue, and the anticipated turnout of 200-300 people drove us to examine whether we were accomplishing our goals in the best manner. The alternative we settled with was the After Burn report and a SURVEY. The Ministry of Statistics didn’t attend Burning Man in 2001, and though they are an independent theme camp we’ve always been amused and interested in the results of their playa survey. We figured we’d mount a survey of our own. Most of the questions will be related to one’s experience with the event and event services, but we’re throwing a couple of fun one’s in also. If you have serious experience creating surveys and would like to help the web team create the survey please let me know. We’ve already drafted the questions, and are honing down the document, but we could always use experienced advice. In addition to the Survey look for a Q&A page to help answer questions.

We’re also in the middle of our budget process for 2002. This will be the first year where we’ve finished coding expenses within 8 weeks after the event to the degree where we could depend on accurate reporting for future budgeting and ticket pricing. We’ve often had to start selling tickets before we’d completed a detailed budget. This year we expect to reverse this trend. As a result staff are busier at this time of the year than usual. We have been trying to start ticket sales on January 1, 2002, but that date will probably slip to the middle of that month. The announcement will be made via the MAIL first, and then the JRS. If you did not purchase a ticket or are not already on the mailing list please visit: Snailmail. We are doing our best to keep ticket prices and allotments the same as 2001. Please stand by!

There have been a number of Decompression parties in all kinds of far off places like Toronto. Due to the erratic appearance of the JRS I’m not always able to post information in a timely manner. I try not to be regional-centric and do my best to keep the event posts limited. I continue to urge you to connect with your “regional contact” so you can find other burners, collaborate on projects and generally “burn on” year-round. Look at the list!

We will finally be meeting with BLM, law enforcement authorities and other “cooperating agencies” tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 15) in Reno. Burning Man staff members will join with the variety of organizations and entities that help us bring Black Rock City to the Nevada desert. We’ll discuss what we’ve achieved, changes we’d like to see, and begin to talk about plans for the future.

Keep the Burn alive.

From a Participant –

[submitted to burningdreams@burningman.com, and reprinted here with permission of the author]

“For 11 or so years I’ve been in vague anticipation of The Event. First hearing of it on one of the variety shows that comes on late nite saturday nite, so many years ago. It took me so long because I really didn’t know what I could have– what exactly was missing in me.

On the playa, 2001 my first time, like the first time in my life I felt a freedom and a sense of being alive so intense that I never felt before. overwhelmed and strong. For an entire week I had goose bumps.

And I realized many many things that week. The meaning of life, and how it’s not the same for everyone.. That there are places that people can truly be happy and free.. That I exist, I just need to know where to look.. And beauty. Pleasure and beauty, the two most important things in Living. Beauty in all things.

My dream for re-entry is my reality. To live for personal freedom and excavate all the bindings that for a while, I thought I needed in life to be happy.

My entire life I’ve felt a sadness within me. A constant non-existence of meaning. Fearful of any good feelings, fearful that they may end. I’ve been in search of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Organized religion always made me gag, and people in general arrrrgghh-ed me.

But now, things are different. It’s been over a month since The Event and there exists in me a constant of a dust-covered happiness. I found myself in the desert.

My dream, is of living freedom. I’m a little new at it, but in my dream, I get better. My dream is of beauty and experience, my dream is of the outrageous and chaotic, my dream is of opening my eyes, and waking up.

BURNING BOOKKEEPER:

Burning Man seeks a full-charge bookkeeper, 20-30 hours a week, hours flexible based on your availability and interest. Those interested in the position should email bookkeeping(at)burningman(dot)com.

Art Vandalized at Decompression

From Ladybee

Once again let me remind folks that we must respect the art!!! Although, as far as I know, no one’s art was burned without permission in the desert this year, some vandalism did occur. The Cradle, the first installation on your left after leaving center camp, suffered heavy losses. It contained lots of inflated exercise balls and the idea was that you entered through the giant vulvas and bounced on the balls and made your way through them to an enclosed chamber. Unfortunately, people started playing rough with the balls, spiking them into the heads and faces of other participants and breaking the protective netting overhead. By Tuesday all of the balls were gone, taking that experience away from everyone else. Later in the week high-quality speakers and one of the disco balls in the installation were stolen. I can’t tell you how disheartening this sort of thing is to the artists and to all of us in the art department….our artists work unbelievably hard to provide everyone with the rich experiences, and it’s really ugly to have people vandalizing their work and stealing from them. I know whoever did this is probably not reading the JRS or the gate handouts, so to all of the rest of you I say please stop people if you witness any such acts. If you see anyone damaging or removing things from the art installations, please stop them. Call a ranger if necessary. As a community we can stop this if we’re all vigilant. It’s about respect for everything at the event.

On a similar note, here’s a letter I received from a Decompression artist:

“Hi LadyBee,

I wanted to thank your for having our Fishbowl at Decompression this year. We had a great time and the fellow “decompressors” seemed to really enjoy the fish! There was one negative point, however. As we were packing the fish away we realized that someone had walked off with our precious seahorse. She was the one fish that meant the most to me, and I had taken so much time and care to paint her just right 🙁

I hope whoever took the seahorse realizes how upsetting this is for us. How anyone could vandalize someone else’s art is beyond me.

Last Sunday was a great experience, regardless. Thanks again!

Patricia”

If you have the fish, or know who has it, please return it to:
Burning Man
ATTN: LadyBee
PO Box 884688
SF 94188-4688

Calling out all the Burning Folk,

New York City Decompression 2001
S.E.A.L. Proudly Announces
“FunKnDeCOM”
Saturday, November 17th, 2001
10 Jay Street, Brooklyn (DUMBO)
8PM-Sunday

Overdue, and at long last, NYC Decompression is here. Come one, come all and play in a playa like wonderland. Lights, sound, costumes abound at this bash.

We need you. All of you. To do what we do best. PARTICIPATE!!!!!

Imagine a fire being lit under your ass. It’s hot, and the only way you can stop the pain is to get it moving. Build. Make. Dream. Create

SEAL, Society for Experimental Arts and Learning is a not-for-profit. Our Mission is to create and maintain an organization and event space dedicated to the promotion of arts, community and education.

Please note that SEAL is organizing this decompression party, because we wanted one. We are all burners. We are inviting you to participate!

Volunteers: Blush volunteers(at)sealspace(dot)org

Theme Camps: Jamie themecamps(at)sealspace(dot)org

Performers/djs/Stage Managers: Tara taraball(at)earthlink(dot)net

Fire Performers: Cassandra cyberspacegypsy(at)hotmail(dot)com

Art installations: Ken Scallion artists(at)sealspace(dot)org

www.sealspace.org

$10.00 dollars / Playa Fashion / Costume
$15.00 dollars / Lack of effort / benefactors and generous souls

**Any profits made from FunKnDeCOM will be subsidizing “The CONTAINER 2002 NYC-Playa-NYC.” making it cheaper to get your art to the playa.**

Camera lost at SF Decompression

From: Qian.Li(at)stuckynet(dot)com
To: bman-announce@burningman.com
Subject: Please help me locate my camera I lost on Sunday!

I lost my diposable camara on Sunday at the San Francisco decompression party at one of the tents I was napping at… it has my BM pictures on it… please spread the word so that the people I crashed in the tent with can get the message so they can get back to me…! Many many thanks!!!

-Very anxious camera looser:(

Dolphin Boy Needs Help

I’m afraid that in all the excitement of pulling my animated el-wire dolphin around in the dusty evening playa I neglected to take any photos of it for myself. I would love to get stills or even video if possible from some kind Burner who might have captured it on film or electronically. My e-mail: mailto: oh2jibe(at)earthlink(dot)net

Thank you in advance,
Jeff a.k.a. Dolphin Boy

CALL FOR ARCHIVES:

Each year we save some copies of the Gate and Greeter Handouts (The What Where When, the Map, Exodus Flyer, Gate BRG, etc.) for the Archive. This year, however, we ran out of those materials (which is pretty curious, given the population…next year we’ll print more!!!) and we didn’t manage to capture any for the archives! Please, if you saved yours and can bear to part with them, we need several copies for posterity.

Burning Man
ATTN: Lady Bee
PO Box 884688
San Francisco, CA 94188-4688

Dr. Rips off Eileen

A gentle reminder from our North Carolina Regional Contact, Eileen, who sold someone her BMan tickets on faith, and is still awaiting payment:

“I was going to BM up to the last minute when my father-in-law had a stroke (don’t you just hate when that happens!) I frantically put out the word that I had to sell everything, RV rental, hotel, airtickets and BM tickets. Some guy called saying “I’ll buy the tickets from you. You can trust that I send the money, if it’s any consolation I have MD after my name” I next day fedex the tickets and can only hope he enjoyed his time on the playa. My guess is that he lost my information (giving him the benefit of the doubt) So I thought I would but out an APB to see if I can recoup the cash.”

Hey Burning Doctor….how about it? If you’ve lost her contact info, we can put you in touch.

Space Lounge List Crash:

From Adam:

Just this Sunday my computer crashed, horribly, taking everything w/ it, including the email addresses of the SpaceLounge announce list.

That was over 500 email addresses of dedicated loungeheads!

Before you suggest it, yes I have tried everything to find the data, no go.

Sooooo please please please could you add a note to the next Jackrabbit asking anyone who might have been on the SpaceLounge Announce list before it died to email:

announce(at)spacelounge(dot)com

Call for Submissions: Drama in the Desert

**Deadline Extension – December 1, 2001

Drama in the Desert – Sight & Sound
A multidimensional project based on the images of Holly Kreuter
www.desertdrama.com

Drama in the Desert wants YOUR essays and poetry!

Drama in the Desert is a compilation of images and sounds captured over five years at Burning Man. It’s a fully-sensory, audio-visual experience of what it feels like to be at the event. It uses images, poetry, essays and a digital soundscape DVD to explain how the place is whatever you make it: a city of freedom and friendship. From snapshots and snippets of sound, this book attempts to document experience and archive moments from this tremendous humanity festival.

Essays & Poetry Wanted

We’re accepting essays and poems relating to images from Burning Man. After receiving a private URL from our editors, some images may be viewed for creative writing ideas. Ideally, your submission(s) will be inspired by one of the images or a group of images, or be about a particular piece of artwork or performance/activity.

Please visit www.desertdrama.com for submission guidelines and/ or email submissions(at)desertdrama(dot)com for more information. Submissions will be accepted until 12.1.01

Holly Kreuter
Raised Barn Press
www.desertdrama.com

MODERN TRIBALISM Film

Several months ago I received a post from the wonderful people who’ve produced the “Modern Tribalism” film. I didn’t post the information, but as time has gone by it has occurred to me that there are burners that would like this film. Burning Man is just a part of the piece which also goes into tatooing and other “modern tribalism”. I like the directors of this film very much. They’ve been attending Burning Man for years. Unfortunately of the list of places the film was showing including some places in LA the one left is in Santa Fe. From the information sent to me:

“ABOUT MODERN TRIBALISM: Journey into America’s primitive soul in this “graphic, unflinching and startlingly touching” (L.A. Weekly) documentary about the resurgence of humanity’s oldest and most intense rituals. From garden-variety tattooing, to frenzied effigy-burning festivals, to the disturbing extremes of body-piercing, ‘Modern Tribalism’ explores the cultural context surrounding this underground movement. “…a fantastically edgy, viscerally edited dissection of modern dissatisfaction…” (“Creative Loafing,” Atlanta)

Featuring interviews with author Tom Robbins, modern primitive Fakir Musafar, RE/Search publisher V. Vale, medicine man Malidoma Some’, and Burning Man founder Larry Harvey & organizer Crimson Rose.

For more information on the film and filmmakers:
http://www.lowfifilmworks.com

* SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
DECEMBER 5 – 9 (no screening date yet; check http://www.thesantafefilmfestival.com for details) ”

Photos of Wedding Cake at Burning Man

Burners who married/”married” at the event and were photographed atop the wedding cake can visit this site to see the pictures. Ahhhh, love:

www.lai5.com/wedding_cake/index.html

Fundamentalist Christian perspective of Burning Man

Remember, we’re radically inclusive, and this is one person’s perspective. 😉

poweredbychrist.homestead.com/BurningMan.html

Pepe Ozan’s film about India

On Sunday, December 2 Theater Artaud of San Francisco will premier an hour-long documentary film by long-time Burning Man artist, Pepe Ozan. Pepe is well known for the many sculptures and playa operas he has produced over several years at our event. “Ganga Ma” documents a remarkable journey from the mouth of the Ganges River to the high mountain glacier that forms its source in the Himalayas. It is a remarkable film that bears intimate witness to the sights, sounds, and, above all the teeming flow of Indian culture along this sacred river. Screenings will be held at 7 & 9pm, at 450 Florida St. in San Francisco. Proceeds from the showing will benefit Project Artaud, one of San Francisco’s longest standing communal arts associations. For more information about this film contact: www.artnetwork.com/gangama To contact the artist, email: gangama(at)artnetwork(dot)com

Misc.

Anyone know how I can get rid of the stray characters that seem to insist on migrating from my Mac-based MSWord (Office 1998) to my Outlook Express to the JRS? I can’t see the marks when I cut and past and cut and past and moderate the email, but I hear from many people who’d like to see me fix this. I will if I can. I do have TexEdit, which I like, but there are features of Word that make it preferable for drafting the JRS. Anyone? Thanks in advance.

Admin on and off the JRS:

On: bman-announce-subscribe(at)burningman(dot)com
Off: bman-announce-unsubscribe(at)burningman(dot)com

Cheers

Happy day

Meow

M

Maid Marian

Burning Man
jackrabbitspeaks(at)burningman(dot)com (for questions and post requests)

The JRS: guaranteed to be interesting every now and then.

old rabbits

dpw journal by shaman